Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is a five-time Grammy-nomina… Read Full Bio ↴Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is a five-time Grammy-nominated American R&B singer-songwriter. Campbell scored a string of R&B chart hits as a teenager in the early to mid-1990s. Campbell transitioned from child singer to adult R&B crooner, and is a recognizable figure in the New Jack Swing genre of music.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Campbell was introduced to the R&B by Quincy Jones in August 1989. Campbell's debut single was "Tomorrow (A Better You Better Me)" which reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip hop Singles chart in June 1990. It was the lead single from Quincy Jones' critically acclaimed ensemble LP Back on the Block which won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1991. After working with Jones and writers and producers including Siedah Garrett, Campbell worked with producers Narada Michael Walden, Al B. Sure, Babyface, and others to record additional music.

Campbell's first solo hit was "Round and Round", which charted at #3 on R&B charts in November 1991 and #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1991 was produced by Prince and was featured in Prince's film Graffiti Bridge. Campbell followed the success of his first two singles by releasing his debut album, T.E.V.I.N., in November 1991 which featured the R&B hit singles and Campbell's only #1 Adult Contemporary hit: "Tell Me What You Want Me To Do" followed by:, "Alone With You", and "Goodbye". His second album, I'm Ready released October 1993, yielded the #1 R&B hit and #9 pop single "Can We Talk" in December 1993, "I'm Ready", "Always in My Heart" which charted at #3 on the R&B chart. He also scored a Top 30 hit with "Don't Say Goodbye Girl" on the R&B charts. In September 1994, Campbell also scored an R&B hit with the single "U Will Know" as part of the R&B supergroup Black Men United, a group that also included singer Usher.

The year 1996 saw the release of his third album, Back to the World (#11 R&B). The title track was a success (hitting the R&B Top 20), but additional singles failed to make an impact on the chart. His early 1999 self-titled album was found Campbell venturing into the neo-soul venue. The project was rushed, and as a result charted below the R&B Top 30, with only one single charting, a Top 30 song called "Another Way".

Campbell was nominated for five Grammy Awards and two American Music Awards.

In December 2005, Campbell made his Broadway debut in the role of Seaweed J. Stubbs in the hit musical Hairspray. Campbell is currently still playing in Hairspray.

Campbell returned to the studios in 2006, working with producers Scott Storch, The Underdogs, Krucial Keys, Bryan Michael Cox, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Ryan Leslie. The comeback album is waiting to be published and will be released in 2008.

Strawberry Letter 23
Tevin Campbell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh

Hello, my love, I heard a kiss from you
The red magic satin playing near, too
All through the morning rain, I gaze the sun doesn't shine
The rainbows and waterfalls run through my mind

In the garden, I see the west purple shower, bells and tea
Orange birds and river cousins dressed in green
Pretty music I hear, so happy and loud
Blue flowers echo from a cherry cloud

Feel sunshine sparkle pink and blue
The playgrounds will laugh
If you try to ask
Oh, is it cool? Is it cool?

If you arrive and don't see me, I'm going to be, be with my baby
I am free, flying in her arms, over the sea
Stained window, yellow candy screen
See speakers of kites, with velvet roses diggin' freedom flight

A present from you, Strawberry letter 22
The music plays, I sit in [Incomprehensible], for you

Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh

Aah aah aah
Aah aah aah

A present from you, Strawberry letter 22
The music plays, I sit in for a few

Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh

Ooh ooh ooh
...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Tevin Campbell's "Strawberry Letter 23" are a love letter of sorts, with the singer floating on the cloud of love and describing the vibrant, fantastical images that flit through his mind. The opening lines suggest that the singer has received a kiss from his love, and he is caught in the spell of the memory. He imagines the satin sheets where they must have made love, and he spends the day lost in thought, wishing for the sun to come out. But he finds solace in the beauty of his imagination, with rainbows and waterfalls running through his mind.

As the song progresses, the singer describes a fantastical garden where he sees purple showers and orange birds, and hears pretty music that is so loud and happy. He describes feeling sunshine sparkle pink and blue, and how the playgrounds will laugh if you try to ask if it's cool. This line suggests that the singer is so caught up in his love that he can't think of anything else, and the world around him seems full of joy and wonder.

The song ends with the singer talking about Strawberry Letter 22, a present from his love. Despite everything happening around him, he sits still and lost in thought, taking in all of the beauty and magic around him. The overall sense of the song is one of being swept away by love and experiencing the world through a rose-colored lens.

Line by Line Meaning

Hello, my love, I heard a kiss from you
The singer is greeting his lover and has heard their loving kiss.

The red magic satin playing near, too
The fabric reminiscent of magic suggests a passionate atmosphere.

All through the morning rain, I gaze the sun doesn't shine
Despite the gloomy morning, he is lost in his own thoughts of the moment.

The rainbows and waterfalls run through my mind
His mind is filled with vivid, colorful images and the sound of the waterfalls.

In the garden, I see the west purple shower, bells and tea
The garden is lush with vibrant color, like the West's purple flowers and the sound of bells and tea creating a relaxing environment.

Orange birds and river cousins dressed in green
The birds and other creatures wear vibrant green colors in the scenery he sees.

Pretty music I hear, so happy and loud
He hears joyful and lively music that makes him feel good.

Blue flowers echo from a cherry cloud
The beauty and lightness of the blue flowers capture his attention, mirroring the softness of a cherry-flavored cloud.

Feel sunshine sparkle pink and blue
The singer is experiencing a feeling of warmth and happiness, as if under the sun's cheerful light.

The playgrounds will laugh
The playgrounds, being innocent and pure, emit pure enjoyment, often of the vocal variety.

If you try to ask
However, attempting to quell the innocent laughter would be futile.

Oh, is it cool? Is it cool?
The singer asks whether the overall atmosphere and everything around them is enjoyable, cool even.

If you arrive and don't see me, I'm going to be, be with my baby
The lyric conveys that even if he is not there to be seen, he is with his lover.

I am free, flying in her arms, over the sea
With his lover, the singer feels liberated and weightless, like flying over the vast sea.

Stained window, yellow candy screen
His view is depicted with descriptions of stained glass, colored, and sweet as candy.

See speakers of kites, with velvet roses diggin' freedom flight
The singer sees kites as their own speakers, with the softness and elegance of velvet roses, representing the freedom of flight.

A present from you, Strawberry letter 22
The title of the song, a reference to another letter and gift from his lover, Strawberry letter 22.

The music plays, I sit in [Incomprehensible], for you
The music, which symbolizes love and affection, is playing for his lover, and the singer is carried away by its beauty.

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore, Unison Rights S.L., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Shuggie Otis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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